Terri Osburn's Blog, page 5

Get Your Newsletter Here!

For most of 2013, I sent a newsletter every month. Then I started 2014 on the ball with a newsletter right away.

After that, I entered this ugly place called the deadline cave. It’s a dark place that sucks your brain cells into a polar vortex of epic proportions. (I don’t actually know what a polar vortex is, but it sounds like things could get sucked into it, right?)

So anyway, I’m finally getting around to sending a newsletter out for the month of May, and to make up for my lackadaisical ways, I’m giving prizes to not one, not two, not even three subscribers. I’m giving away FOUR prizes. I’ve got an Anchor Island mug, an audio book of UP TO THE CHALLENGE, a beach-themed photo album and anchor necklace, and then a full set of the three available Anchor Island books along with some fun book swag.

But you can’t win if you don’t subscribe. It’s easy to do, just click over to the home page and fill in the box on the right with your name and email address. Simple as that. The winners will be announced in the May newsletter (which will also announce a cool contest that could land you books from Tracy Brogan, Kim Law, Kristan Higgins, and yours truly.)

Subscribe today and maybe you’ll be a winner!

No Insult To Italy

You know how you’ll hear a particular phrase or expression your whole life, but never see it in writing? Yeah. Well. I tried to be cute and incorporated one of these sorts of things into a bit of dialogue in HOME TO STAY. And I missed it by a nautical mile.

The term I used is criminitly, which I now know how to spell. It isn’t really a word, but a Midwestern expression of shock or surprise. Basically, it’s like something Yosemite Sam would have said. A bit of gibberish.

Here’s the thing. I grew up in a predominantly Italian town. (Though I am not even a smidge Italian.) I thought that the people around me were saying crime in Italy, but dropping the a in Italy when they said it. Because that’s how I heard it, that’s how I spelled it.

Wrong wrong wrong. Which, again, I know now. And I should have known before. But I can get stuck on something and I’m very stubborn. (Ask anyone who knows me, they’ll tell you. Especially if they’re related to me.) So in the end, I made a mistake, and that mistake is pulling readers out of my story.

Which is like the number one thing I writer does NOT want to do. So this is my major mea culpa. I shouldn’t have used the expression, and definitely should have done my homework when I did. This in no way should reflect on the editing my book received. Trust me, there were several copyedit and proofing passes and though I can’t say for sure, I’m positive that they either a) tried to correct it and I insisted it stay or b) they assumed it was some expression they’d never heard and that I knew what I was talking about.

Ha! I wish I did.

For those who have yet to read the book, I’ll warn you now. This is going to pull you out of the story. It will make you shake your head and maybe even say “What the…”

I apologize now. And I meant no disrespect to Italy. I’m sure there is no more crime there than anywhere else. 

And For My Next Trick

I will reappear on this blog as if I never actually abandoned it for—*checks date of last blog*—exactly one month. So how the heck are ya? Me? I’m good. Healthy. Well rested. Life is good.

Okay, that might be a lie. Maybe I should explain.

See, I had a deadline. I had to turn in the 4th book in the Anchor Island series (the last, sadly) on April 1. That took every ounce of focus and determination I had left in my four working brain cells. I also, sort of by accident, booked a trip for kiddo and I to Disney World from March 26-30th. So, really, the deadline was March 25th, thanks to my impeccable timing and failure to think ahead.

But the book is in and I’ve managed to create a workable to-do list to catch up—you should see the amount of laundry I have to do—and now I’m back in the game. Mostly.

And I have news! First up, the 3rd book in the Anchor Island series, HOME TO STAY, is currently featured in the Kindle First program over on Amazon. See www.amazon.com/kindlefirst for details on that. If you’re anxious for the print or audio versions of the book, your target date is still May 1, but that’ll be here before we know it.

I also have a book trailer. This launched last week and I am very excited about how it turned out.

 

What else? Oh, I’ll be embarking on a bit of a blog tour starting in the middle of the month. These are the dates I have right now. I’ll be sharing more info about the tour soon.

April 15 – Curvy Writers Blog Radio (Noon)

April 16 – Fresh Fiction

April 18 – Firebirds

April 21 – Rockville 8

April 22 – Ripe for Reader

April 25 – RWA Contemporary Chapter Blog

April 29 – Romance Dish

So what am I doing now besides tackling the to-do list? Starting a new series! In early 2015 you’ll get to meet the inhabitants of Ardent Springs, TN, located an hour or so north of Nashville. The first book is the story of high school sweethearts with a shot at a second chance for love. Will they make it work? I sure hope so, since my job is to write happily ever afters.

To get in the swing of the new setting, I’ve created a playlist for it. I can’t listen to music while I write, but listening during the development stage is a must. As you could probably guess, the list is filled with country songs, and this is one sets the tone perfectly.

So we’re back to Music Monday with Again by David Nail. Enjoy!

Writing With Passion – Special Guest Maureen O. Betita

Thanks to Terri for allowing me to invade her blog today. I’m Maureen O. Betita, author of the pirate series, Forever A Pirate. I started publishing my stories last year and after collecting a lot of advice, I have pushed my production level into warp speed, renamed the series, re-covered them…(is that a word?) and began my pirate invasion of the world. (Ambitious much?)

Why pirates? Well…why not? To be honest, I love pirates, I love writing about pirates, I love dressing up like a pirate and going to events… TMI? Hey, I live what I love. This is something I encourage everyone to do…no matter your mania.

As I said, mine is pirates. Following my bliss, I began writing about pirates a decade or so ago. And I never stopped. I specifically write about a pair of pirates. Captain Jake Reynard and Miranda. She didn’t begin life as a pirate, but fell to it with gusto after arriving in the Caribbean and meeting Jake. (He is very persuasive!)

Miranda is a time-traveling sexual witch. The rivers of space and time are hers to sail and she’s been traveling for several decades. Her magical abilities are powered by sex…good thing she found Jake! She’s friendly, a bit of a meddler and carries a burden of guilt that drives her toward self-sacrifice.

And Jake? Dashing, clever, a born liar and leader. (To lie well is a badge of honor for pirates, nothing to be ashamed of.) He lives for the sea…and after he hauls Miranda from the waters, he finds living for her holds more than he ever considered his right.

Love, passion, and, of course, enemies that must be defeated… The world of Forever A Pirate is challenging, sensual, rewarding and constantly changing.

I invite you to set sail on this adventure with Jake and Miranda. They will not disappoint! Each book follows the other. Thirty books and one couple… Begin with A Caribbean Spell!

Me? I’m on Facebook way too much, I’m exploring twitter and I enjoy interacting at conventions, pirate festivals, scifi/fantasy gatherings… And I’ve known Terri for several years, back when she was a bosun on the Romance Writers Revenge blog and I was a bartender…

So, my mania is pirates…what’s yours?

Help For Sarah

One of the loudest discussions we’ve been having here in America lately is about health care. The lack of it. The mess of it. The right to it. Is having health care a right or a privilege? Should we all chip in or is it every man, woman, and child for themselves?

I could answer those with how I feel about things, but then this would be a political blog, and that’s not my intention. Let’s stick with the facts. Regardless of how you feel about it, we now have the Affordable Care Act here in the US, and it’s doing some good things. Unfortunately, and I’m sure not surprisingly, it is not perfect.

And contrary to what some political factions would like you to believe, it is also not free. Supplemented, yes. Free, no. It is meant to be more affordable for those dealing with tighter finances to obtain, hence the name Affordable Care Act. But what about those who can’t afford to pay anything? That’s where Medicaid comes in, right?

Not always.

You see, states control their own Medicaid programs. For varied reasons (I assume) some states refused Federal funding offered to expand their state Medicaid programs to those in more desperate straits. That means anyone in those states who cannot work, has absolutely no income, and isn’t already on Medicaid is essentially screwed.

I’m sure some would read this and say there’s no one who fits this description. No one would fall through the cracks like that here in America. This simply doesn’t happen. But it does.

My friend Sarah Kirbo is in this exact situation. She is unable to work due to numerous and varied medical conditions. She has applied three times for federal disability coverage, and regardless of testimony from a system expert in support of her case, has been denied three times.

That means Sarah cannot work. She has run out of money. And thanks to her state government, cannot get health coverage. Without even a modicum of income, she is also not able to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act. This is a woman suffering from an array of illnesses who has no health insurance. She cannot afford to see her doctor or pay for her medications.

The bottom line is, Sarah needs help. She has one option right now, and that is relocating from Florida to Arkansas to enroll in the expanded Medicaid program offered there. There is family property in the state that is open to her, but she needs to get there. And that takes money.

In an effort to raise the funds to make this possible, Sarah has set up a gofundme account and is asking for donations. If Sarah had any other options, she would never be doing this. She simply can’t afford to be ruled by pride at this point. I know that money is tight for a lot of us these days, but even the smallest contribution would go a long way.

Read Sarah’s story in her own words here and even if you can’t afford to donate at this time, just spreading the word would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

The Deadline Looms

I realize I haven’t blogged since January, which severs my promise to blog at least every Monday. But I have a very good excuse.

The deadline.

The whole point is for me to write books for people to read and if I’m writing blogs, then I’m not writing books. And right now, I need to be writing this book. So that’s where I am. Writing Anchor Island book 4. The good news is that I’m loving it so far. There will be several new characters to meet, including the heroine of the story (you’ll meet the hero in book 3.) 

There’s even a fun new pet. Who talks.

Stay tuned for more as it develops, but right now, I need to go write. Oh, and for anyone who has noticed, the release date for HOME TO STAY, Anchor Island book 3, has been pushed back to May 1, but it’s not a bad thing. I’ll be able to explain soon.

Since it is a Monday, I’ll include some music. This one is on the inspiration soundtrack for book 4 right now. Nothing like a combustible couple fighting for a happily ever after. Enjoy!

Getting the Water and the Plotting Moving Again

I’m about to tell you a little story that’s going to make you think I’m a bit woo-woo, but I promise I’m as sane as the next author. (Which really isn’t say much, but whatever.)

I bought my little townhouse back in 2010. It’s my first house and I love it. It was kiddo and I and the two cats, but I got a hankering for a dog. Kiddo’s friend’s family had one puppy left to give away, I went to visit her, and that was that. Macie came home with me in January 2012, and that’s where this story gets woo-woo.

Very shortly after Macie joined the household, I woke one morning to find water gushing from the drain pipe on my water heater. I’ve no idea how long it had been running, but my laundry and living room were completely flooded. I tried to suck the water out, but it was never going to work, so out went the carpet.

I could live on concrete for a while. We had area rugs. It was fine.

Then in July of 2012, about six months later, the pipe under the house got clogged and sent (clean-thank goodness) water into the half bath and front hall. I cleaned it up and charged ahead. Less than two weeks later, the drain for the A/C unit got clogged somewhere under the house and sent water spewing into my kitchen and that same front hall.

Another floor torn out. Now we had concrete throughout the downstairs, and it stayed that way for nearly a year and a half. This was a lot of water in a short period of time so I consulted a friend of a friend who, let’s say, is more in tune with the natural elements of how our world works.

She suggested Water Sprites. Little creatures who lived in my house and for some reason were not happy. Did I have a water feature? No. Did I have plants? Not a one. Not good, since these Sprites love water and need greenery to live in. And then we traced back to when all this started, which was when Macie arrived. The logical conclusion was that the Water Sprites rode in with Macie. Lovely.

I eventually bought a fountain and a friend sent me a lovely plant (which I’ve managed NOT to kill so far.) The floors were all replaced (that timing is just a coincidence) and life progressed with everyone happy, including the Water Sprites.

But last week I realized the filter motor on my fountain was completely clogged with some nasty slimy substance. I couldn’t get it clean enough to work again so made a note to buy a new motor. This meant the fountain would be off for a while.

Cue woo-woo.

Within days, my pipes froze and as I type this, I’m still without water. In three years, with several big snows and recent plunging temperatures, I’ve not had one problem with freezing pipes. Until that fountain stopped working.

Now, you can tell me this all sounds crazy and it’s just coincidence, but I’ll be buying a new fountain as soon as I can. The temps are forecast to go slightly above freezing today and stay up there for the entire afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed that thaws my pipes (and do not mention the word burst in the comments or I will delete you!) and I’ll have running water once again.

I’m going to need some to fill the new fountain.

Oh, and all of this is terribly distracting to my writer brain, which is where the plotting part comes in. I’m hoping sharing this story will open some creative space and get the ideas AND the water flowing again. I’m a bit desperate for both.

EDITED TO ADD: WE HAVE DRIPPING!

Thank You and Music Monday with Martin

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to all. May your day be one of peace, remembrance, and a smile from everyone you meet. Seems like Dr. King would like that.

I want to thank every blogger who let me visit their site during the Belated Book Blog Tour for UP TO THE CHALLENGE, which had a FANTASTIC day yesterday as part of the Kindle Gold Box Deal on Amazon, where it was available for a limited time for $1.99. Also thanks to everyone who followed along on the tour and took the time to chime in and play along. I know how busy life can be and appreciate any time a person takes to stop by a blog or two.

Tune in right here tomorrow to see who won the grand prize Kindle and Amazon Gift card.

Now, since it is Monday and we skipped Music Monday last week, we’ll do a special holiday edition. This song just felt right. Let’s have a little U2, Pride (In The Name Of Love).

 

The Belated Blog Tour

Due to life getting in the way, I never got around to doing a blog tour for UP TO THE CHALLENGE when it released in Oct 2013. So I'm doing one now.

And as part of the tour, I'm giving away a grand prize of a brand new Kindle and an Amazon gift card to get you started.

To find out all the details, hop over to my website. http://www.terriosburn.com/the-belate...

The Belated Blog Tour for UP TO THE CHALLENGE

Due to… life I was not able to do a typical blog tour for the release of UP TO THE CHALLENGE, the 2nd in my Anchor Island Series, when it was released back in October. So I’m doing one now.

At each blog stop between now and January 17th, I’ll be giving away a kindle copy of UP TO THE CHALLENGE to one lucky commenter. In addition, everyone who follows me through the tour can enter for a chance at the grand prize, a brand new Kindle and a $10 Amazon gift card to get you started.

To get yourself in the running for the grand prize, just click over to my contest page and enter through the Rafflecopter widget. (There’s a link at the bottom of the page.)

Now, where you can find me along the tour:

Jan 10 (today!) – The Firebirds Blog

Jan 12 – The Romance Bandits

Jan 13 – Maureen O. Betita’s Blog

Jan 14 – Read Your Writes Blog

Jan 15 – Savvy Authors (no commenter prize)

Jan 16 – Hellie’s Radical and Frequently Raving Reviews

Jan 17 – Right here!

So that’s six books up for grabs plus the Kindle and Amazon gift card. Be sure to enter early and often. And because I’m feeling generous, I’m going to leave the grand prize contest open through the holiday weekend. It’ll end midnight (eastern time) on Monday the 20th, then I’ll announce the winner here within 48 hours. 

Hope to see you along the tour and good luck!